One of his early courses for children treated of that subject which always possessed a great fascination for him, and in which he did much of his greatest work--electricity. The slight notes which he made for the first lecture of this course are interesting. "An extraordinary power that I have to explain; not fear boldly entering into its consideration, because I think it ought to be understood by children--not minutely, but so as to think reasonably about it, and such effects as children can produce, or observe to take place in nature--simple instances of its power." This first lecture was illustrated by eighty experiments. We have dwelt upon his kindliness and sympathy with children; but, it may be noted, he had none of his own, though from almost the earliest year of his married life he always liked to have one or other of his nieces with him. His love for children is well shown in an anecdote which Dr. Gladstone tells of his later life. He was at a soirée at the house of Mr. Justice Grove; the eldest daughter having heard him express himself disappointed at being too late to see any of the younger members of the family, brought down the little ones in their nightgowns to the foot of the stairs, when Faraday showed how gratified he was by saying to her, "Ah! that's the best thing you've done to-night." Sometimes he would indulge in some slight practical jokes with the young people. For instance, a nephew visiting him in his study one morning, Faraday said to him, "Why, Frank, what a tall boy you are growing; you can almost touch that brass ball--just try." Nothing loth, the boy standing on tiptoe reached up and touched the ball with his fingers, when his playful uncle gave a turn to a wheel and the boy received a slight shock, and with it a first, and somewhat unexpected, lesson on the nature of electricity. [Illustration: FARADAY LECTURING BEFORE THE PRINCE CONSORT, PRINCE OF WALES AND DUKE OF EDINBURGH. _Reduction of the picture painted_] [_in 1856 by Alexander Blaikley_.] The Prince Consort was a constant patron of the Royal Institution, and the young princes also were present at many of the Juvenile Lectures. After attending such a course H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, then a lad of fifteen, and his brother, H.R.H. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, wrote from Windsor Castle the following letters to Professor Faraday:-- "Dear Sir,--I am anxious to thank you for the advantage I have derived from attending your most interesting lectures. Their subject, I know very well, is of great importance, and I hope to follow the advice you gave us of pursuing it beyond the lecture-room; and I can assure you that I shall always cherish with great pleasure the recollection of having been assisted in my early studies in chemistry by so distinguished a man. "Believe me, dear Sir, yours truly, "ALBERT EDWARD." Prince Alfred's letter was as follows:--